Castle Air Museum

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Castle Air Museum
Castle Air Museum is located in California
Castle Air Museum
Location within California
Castle Air Museum is located in the United States
Castle Air Museum
Castle Air Museum (the United States)
Established20 June 1981
Location5050 Santa Fe Drive
Atwater, California 95301
Coordinates37°21′53″N 120°34′41″W / 37.36475°N 120.577944°W / 37.36475; -120.577944
TypeMilitary aviation museum
Founder
  • Cliff James[1]
  • Gen. James P. McCarthy[2]
Websitewww.castleairmuseum.org

Castle Air Museum is a military aviation museum located in Atwater, California, United States adjacent to Castle Airport, a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base which was closed in 1995, after the end of the Cold War. It is one of the largest aerospace museums displaying vintage aircraft in the western United States.

History and information[edit]

The museum opened with 12 aircraft on 20 June 1981 as a branch of the United States Air Force Museum system.[3] Only four months later, an additional four aircraft were placed on display.[4] Then in 1983, an audit criticized leadership for poor accountability of resources, displaying aircraft outside the museum's mission, and lack of security.[5] When Castle Air Force Base was closed in April 1995 and became Castle Airport, the museum similarly became private.[6][7][a] The loss of federal funding eventually caused financial problems for the museum.[9]

It currently displays over 60 restored World War II, Korean War, Cold War, and modern era aircraft. The outdoor museum covers 11 acres (45,000 m2), and among the exhibit highlights are a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (one of only 19 surviving), a Boeing B-52D Stratofortress, and the massive, ten-engined Convair RB-36H Peacemaker, one of only four surviving and the largest mass-produced piston aircraft in history. An indoor museum features artifacts, photographs, uniforms, war memorabilia, aircraft engines, and a restored B-52 Stratofortress flight deck. A crew of volunteers restores and maintains the aircraft on display.[10] The museum also hosts a periodic Open House in which visitors can view the interiors of certain planes.

In May 2008, the museum reached its 50th displayed aircraft milestone with the addition of a Douglas A-4L Skyhawk. The aircraft was shipped to the museum in August 2006, and restored at a cost of $12,000.[10]

In October 2013, the Museum received a retired VC-9C aircraft that had previously served during several administrations as an alternate Air Force One and Air Force Two aircraft when use of the primary VC-137 or VC-25 was impractical.[11] Vice presidents such as Al Gore and Dick Cheney, and First Ladies such as Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Hillary Clinton, as well as presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, were among the individuals who used the plane.[11]

In 2021, the museum received 5 aircraft from Naval Air Museum Barbers Point, which had closed two years prior.[12][13][14]

A McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was moved to the museum in July 2023.[15] A UH-12 was donated to the museum in December 2023.[16]

Alleged paranormal occurrences[edit]

The B-29A Superfortress exhibit is reported to be haunted by a spirit named "Arthur."[17] Museum management has reported that visitors, including paranormal investigators, have heard knocking and footsteps from inside the plane. In addition, lights in the aircraft have been known to turn on and off, and the propellers are known to turn even though they are locked in place. An apparition has allegedly been photographed on several occasions, and paranormal researchers claim to have detected anomalous readings on their equipment.[18] The paranormal occurrences have been featured on an episode of UPN's Real Ghosts (1995).

Collection[edit]

Boeing B-29A Superfortress
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
Convair RB-36H Peacemaker
Boeing B-50 Superfortress
Douglas B-23 Dragon
Avro Vulcan
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter
Boeing B-47 Stratojet
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
Aircraft on Display[19]
Helicopters[19]
Complementary Exhibits[19]

References[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ Around the same time, an effort to have the museum's B-24 transferred to the Imperial War Museum Duxford was blocked.[8]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Miller, Brittany (29 June 2023). "Air Museum unveils Cliff James Memorial". Merced County Times. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  2. ^ Yawger, Doane (26 November 2011). "Man instrumental in Castle's success has a homecoming". Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  3. ^ "World War II Air Force Memories Will Abound at Castle Museum". West Side Index. 18 June 1981. p. 11. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Museum Unveils Four New Planes". Merced Sun-Star. 15 October 1981. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  5. ^ McCarthy, Charles (24 March 1983). "Castle Museum Audit Brings New Plan for Running Display". Fresno Bee. pp. B1, B4. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Face Lift on Tap for Air Museum's 'Movie Stars'". The Sun. McClatchy. 3 January 1995. p. B6. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  7. ^ Carlson, Ken (13 June 1995). "Castle Museum Looks to Future". Merced Sun-Star. pp. A1, A6. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  8. ^ Doyle, Michael; Khanh, Truong Phuoc (16 May 1995). "Castle's Rare Warplane Attracts Overseas Interest". The Fresno Bee. p. B2. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Castle Air Museum Struggling to Stay Open". Visalia Times-Delta. 30 November 2002. p. 2C. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  10. ^ a b Keeler, Guy (2008-04-08). "A safe landing". Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
  11. ^ a b Yawger, Doane (16 October 2013). "Former Air Force One lands at Castle in Atwater". Merced Sun-Star. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  12. ^ Lopez, Peter (8 December 2021). "Historic warbirds, artifacts making their way to Castle Air Museum in Atwater". FOX26News. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  13. ^ Sembritzki, Halle (10 December 2021). "Atwater Castle Air Museum receives 5 historic aircraft from Hawaii following 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor". YourCentralValley.com. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  14. ^ Kuhn, Andrew (20 February 2022). "Castle Air Museum expands aircraft collection with addition of vintage helicopters". Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved 21 February 2022 – via Yahoo! News.
  15. ^ "Phantom 'Bunny' aircraft hops down Highway 58 to new home at Castle Air Museum". Bakersfield Now. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  16. ^ Lopez, Peter (20 December 2023). "Castle Air Museum Adds Rare 1950s Helicopter to Collection, Unveiling in 2024". FOX 26 News. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  17. ^ "There's Something Inside Museum's Restored B-29". Salinas Californian. 2 October 1981. p. 19.
  18. ^ Ghost Trackers article on the allegedly haunted B29 at Castle Air Museum Archived 2007-08-12 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ a b c "Castle Air Museum Aircraft Collection". Castle Air Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  20. ^ Nobert, Matthew (29 July 2022). "Retired F-117 aircraft finds a new home at Castle Air Museum". FOX40.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Castle Air Museum.

37°21′53.1″N 120°34′40.6″W / 37.364750°N 120.577944°W / 37.364750; -120.577944

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